The Global Story Could Iran be the next ‘forever war’?
30 snips
Mar 5, 2026 Gordon Correra, BBC security analyst and former security correspondent, gives a concise mini bio and walks through US intervention history. He compares Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and recent Iran policy. Short takes on shifting public opinion, differing US strategies, risks of mission creep and how past conflicts shape possible outcomes.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Iraq Echoes Without The Same Buildup
- The Iraq shadow shapes US rhetoric about Iran but the administration made only faint, hurried comparisons instead of a sustained case.
- Gordon Corera notes Iraq had a year-long buildup with dossiers and UN manoeuvres, whereas Iran saw chaotic, last-minute justifications.
The Real Failure Was Planning After Victory
- The biggest recurring failure is lack of post-conflict planning, not just the military phase.
- Corera compares Iraq's meticulous buildup to almost no follow-through planning then, and sees the same absence in current Iran plans.
Afghanistan Started Fast Then Became A Forever War
- Afghanistan began as a rapid, effective removal of the Taliban using air power and local partners.
- Corera recalls the Northern Alliance partnership and then the US shifting focus to Iraq, leaving no durable political strategy and triggering decades of conflict.